A Simple, Parting Gift
by Patty Potter-Pevensie
Summary: When Maria Merryweather decides to take a vacation and leave Moonacre Manor, if only for a bit, how will a certain curly-haired deNoir take it? Clearly, he won't want to be forgotten; what shall he do about that? More Movie-verse than Bookverse.


**A/N ::** Hullo all ! I had just recently rented the movie _The Secret of Moonacre_ from the RedBox in front of My 7-11 - and my grandpa just took it back , sadly enough - and I LOVED IT ! I fell in love with the thought of Robin and Maria as a couple , and noticed that there aren't many stories out there for this wonderful couple . There aren't many stories for the MOVIE , let alone the BOOK I just learned it was based off of . So I decided to do my own little oneshot , and here it is ! Fresh off the Word Document - seriously , I only reread it for mistakes in the grammatical field , nothing else really - so it just might be complete rubbish . ( Rubbish ? Maybe I _am_ secretly British . )

**I own nothing except the idea . :]**

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"When are we heading out?" A redheaded girl asked, no older than fifteen. Her dark brown eyes sparkled with excitement; her uncle had allowed her to head back to the city to see her best city friend. Her hand was clenched around the handle of her bag; they – she, Loveday, and Ms. Heliotrope – were going to be staying in the city for about a week. Loveday was going so that she could get her wedding dress. That was another reason as to why they were going: Loveday needed to get her dress as did Maria, who was to be her bridesmaid. Ms. Heliotrope was going because Maria was and to see the city once again. While off in her inner monologue, she was snapped back to reality by the feel of someone else's hand taking the bag from her. With wide eyes, she whipped around to see laughing brown eyes. "Robin!" She exclaimed, hitting him upside the head. "You scared me," she laughed, walking down the steps with him a step behind.

"What a nice way to thank someone carrying your bag," he grumbled, fixing his hat as it had tilted a bit when she hit the back of his head. Setting the bag down, he muttered, "Silly Princess."

Maria heard him, turning back to the boy with a happy smile on her face. "Thank you, Robin."

"Why do you need this big of a bag anyway? Where are you going?" he questioned, eyes wide with curiosity.

Maria bit her lip; she had yet to tell Robin of her little "vacation". She loved Moonacre – with all her heart! She wouldn't have thrown herself into the ocean to save it if that weren't true. – but she longed to see an old face. "I'm heading out, back to the city for a bit," she finally stuttered, looking at her feet. _Why is it so hard to tell him?_ She wondered; it hadn't been this bad with her uncle, and he was the one she needed permission from. Robin was just her friend…

Right?

"Why?" he finally asked, head tilted only slightly. His smile dulled a bit. The thought of her not being around – _for a week!_ He reminded himself – should have brought him at least a bit of joy; he wouldn't have to deal with her constant questions or have to help her around the forest. But, strangely enough, he found himself saddened by that fact. He wondered briefly if it was because he would miss her antics – _Hah! Good one, Robin._ He joked to himself, laughing bitterly on the inside. – but immediately pushed the thought out of his head. _Why would I miss her? She'll only be gone for a week anyway._ Within his mind, he shook his head to clear it.

"Well, for one," he struggled to end his many thoughts and focused on her voice, face. "Loveday and I need out dresses for her and Uncle Benjamin's wedding." Robin inwardly cringed; he was being forced to leave his leather jacket and hat behind – well, not really his hat; he supposed he might be able to wear it – for a most likely uncomfortable suit jacket to his sister's wedding. "And I decided that, while we're there, I could visit an old friend of mine."

Robin nodded. "So you'll be gone for the week?" He asked; mind suddenly in overdrive over an idea he never remembered pondering. It just popped up, and he determinedly took the mission. He was sure he'd never been more excited or determined for anything else, save for finding Maria when they had been separated in the forest. _Come to think of it,_ he thought, suddenly surprised. _Why was I so bent on saving her?_

"Well, yes. Why? Are you worried, Robin?" She teased, repeating the words she had spoken when she came back from the jump into the ocean.

His eyes glazed over; that memory still haunted him, even after two years. Watching the love of his life – _Whoa! _He thought. _Where'd that come from?_ – fall to her cold, watery grave was something he never wanted to experience again. To his dismay, it had repeated itself over and over in his nightmares every night after that one. It still does, on occasion. With a blink, his signature smirk returned. "No. What do I have to worry about? That you won't find the perfect dress or that Sir Benjamin will more than likely be broke after the shopping you and Loveday no doubt will do?" he teased, pleased to see the smallest hint of scarlet on the girl's cheeks.

"No," she finally stated, staring at him right in the eye. He almost took a step back from the fire in her eyes. They stared at each other for a bit, close together from the step Maria had taken with defiance. "The only thing you'll have to worry about," she paused, the smirk growing. "is whether or not I decide to forgive you enough to give back your hat."

"Huh?" Robin blinked, and in that second, Maria had swiped his beloved hat off his head and run off, laughing loudly.

"Princess!" he yelled, darting after the girl with a playful smirk on his lips. "I'm going to get you!" The sixteen-year-old yelled again, Maria in his sights. With a burst of speed, he snatched her up around the waist and lifted her up, causing her to squeak with surprise. The squeaks turned to laughs as he spun her around, setting her down after a minute. Pulling the hat free from her hands behind her back, he glanced at it before placing it lopsidedly on her head. Her eyes widened slightly with surprise before her hands reached up to fix it. On impulse alone, Robin grabbed her wrists before they reached their destination. She stared at him, eyes sparkling with surprise and curiosity and…nervousness?

"What is it, Robin?" she whispered; her breath smelled like spearmint and, without really realizing it, he took in a deep breath and burned it into his mind, Maria's scent. "Robin?" she giggled, no longer intimidated by the boy's fierce look in his eyes.

"Maria, I –" he stopped, blinking and shaking his head before dropping her hands. "It's nothing," he muttered, quickly backtracking as Loveday slipped into the area, unnoticed.

"What? Wait, Robin!" she called after the boy, whose only response was a quick wave of the hand before exclaiming – without looking back, mind you,

"Just give my hat back when you return!"

Her hand, which had been raised when she called out to him, lowered slowly as her eyes trailed up to the hat. There was something inside! Plucking it off her head, she reached in and pulled out a note, tied with a beautiful ribbon. "What is with him and taking my ribbons?" she asked herself, smiling despite it all. Uncurling the note, she read Robin's messy scrawl and giggled.

_Don't go jumping off a cliff again now, you hear? If you need someone to do so for you, just call. I'll take your place. _

_ PS : Take my jacket as well; it may be cold out in London. _

_ Love, _

_ Robin_

She took a moment to wonder whether or not he meant the word "love" then chided herself for even thinking that. He was her best friend; she wasn't supposed to be thinking like that! "Thank you, Robin," she mumbled, knowing he heard even though he wasn't there. Noticing the jacket on the chair, she gently picked it up and shrugged it on. Though it was slightly too big for her, it was comfortable. Pushing his hat onto her head, she made a grab for her bag only to realize it wasn't there.

"Where –" she began, looking around frantically for her luggage.

"Benjamin had taken it into the carriage already," Loveday mentioned, watching with amusement the girl whirl around, a blush on her cheeks.

"Loveday!" she exclaimed, unconsciously tugging the jacket tighter around her body. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I believe Robin didn't either," she commented, the growing blush on Maria's cheeks confirming her beliefs. "His jacket and hat look wonderful on you, Maria."

"Thank you, Loveday," she mumbled, looking down at the floor for a minute before smiling brightly.

"He doesn't just let anyone wear his jacket, you know," Loveday commented once again, seeming to be going somewhere. "And letting someone even touch his hat is unheard of."

"R-Really?" Maria stuttered, looking at the leather jacket lovingly, though she couldn't see it. She took a deep breath; it smelled of Robin. She liked it.

"Yes," Loveday nodded, smiling like she knew something Maria did not. "You are really special to my little brother, Maria."

"Hmmm," the younger nodded, distant as she pondered the hidden meaning in Loveday's words. "He is special to me, too," she muttered, almost unaware that the words had left her lips. She hadn't needed to think about it; they just slipped out.

"I'm sure," the older blond agreed, smiling as she opened the front door. "Shall we be heading out now?"

Maria nodded, stepping out into the crisp forest air almost in a daze. All she could think about, strangely yet not, was…

"Robin."

The curly-haired deNoir looked up from his spot in the trees and smiled when he spotted Maria in his jacket and hat. _She looks rather cute._


End file.
